The guardians
by Baloshua
Summary: Long before huntsmen, there were heroes. Long before Remnant, there was Earth. Before the death of humanity, there was Chaldea. Fixing the timelines and defeating the Grand caster, Chaldea has long since become inactive. However, with the increasing adaptation of humanity to ensure its survival against the grimm, heroes from the past have returned to give them a little push.


In a dark forest cut off from the rest of civilization, a young woman was sprawled outwards on the ground as she stared up at the night sky above her and lamented to herself about just what was happening.

Her weapon had been shattered to useless pieces. She laid there beaten, bruised, and bleeding from many wounds that marred her body. It was a miracle she had even been able to retain enough energy to remain conscious.

Craning her head slightly, she watched silently as numerous dark shapes skulked out of the nearby trees and bushes with predatory hisses and feral growls oozing from their mouths.

She could only stare helplessly as the dark creatures known as the 'grimm' approached her. They were the debt collectors of death, and they were here to collect their pay. If it wasn't for the fact that she was a seasoned huntress, she would have blacked out from the fear alone. However, there was one thing that was keeping her conscious right now.

She needed to get out of here. She HAD to get out of here. She made a promise to her loved ones, her family, to get back alive. She was a mother with two beautiful daughters, it would destroy them if she didn't come home. She promised she would be with them forever. What kind of Mother could go to their graves knowing that they broke such a promise?

Rolling to her stomach, she gritted her teeth and forced the remaining energy she had into her arms to push herself up. The grimm didn't looked concern, still continuing at a leisurely pace towards her. She was a wounded animal, she wouldn't be able to walk five feet before collapsing. The chances of her escape was absolute zero.

It would take a miracle for her to make it out alive.

And yet she wouldn't stop fighting. Even with her cloak in tatters, her weapon gone, and her morale all but crushed, she wouldn't accept dying down on the ground like a dog.

She propped herself up against a nearby tree, panting heavily as she pressed her back against the trunk. Moving her hand towards one of her pockets, she felt it clasp around a hard, but smooth, object. Pulling it out, it revealed itself to be a red Dust crystal, untouched and glowing with power that made the grimm pause slightly.

Without a word, she lobbed the crystal towards the small herd of grimm. As it hit the ground, it exploded into a red fireball, engulfing several unfortunate beowulfs and transforming them into hapless dogs as they yelped and howled in pain and surprise, rolling around the ground in agony as they began melting back into black goop.

The woman would have smiled with satisfaction if she wasn't about to die. Despite the large fireball that engulfed the entire area, it had barely made a dent in the horde of grimm.

"How did I even miss so many?" She thought to herself as she watched even more grimm pour into the clearing. It was insane. She had never seen so many different types of grimm converge into one spot for a single huntress. The only time this amount ever showed up was when they decided to attack one of the major kingdoms for some unknown reasons.

A single dust crystal wasn't going to cut it.

"I'm sorry... Yang... Ruby... Taiyang. Mommy isn't going to make it back this time." She thought sadly, tears forming at the corner of her eyes. What was her family going to do when she doesn't come back home like she said she would? Taiyang would probably turn into a depressed man, Yang would probably follow suit, and Ruby...

Her heart plummeted.

She closed her eyes as the Grimm roared, having had enough with her persistent survival and began their relentless charge for the kill. They hissed and roared, releasing sounds that rattled her ear drums and vibrated her bones. her eyes squeezed tighter, waiting for the inevitable hand of death to take her away to his domain.

Suddenly, the pounding headache she had vanished in a split second. She guessed this was what being dead felt like. Just simple nothingness that erased her from existenc- wait...

*Ba-bump* *Ba-bump*

She could feel hear heart pumping slowly inside of her. It was dangerously low, but it proved that she was still alive. She felt confused. How? Grimm weren't known for sparing victims on a whim, so why her?

*Crunch* *Crunch*

Footsteps? Human footsteps? She could only assume so, considering the fact that that they didn't carry the same sound or force of a regular grimm's steps. Slowly opening her eyes, she was greeted with the sight of numerous dead grimm lying on the ground. Staring at the numerous grimm in shock as they began dissolving, she couldn't help but vocalize her thoughts.

"W-what?" She mumbled as she watched the final Grimm dissolve. "H-how?"

"I wouldn't talk if I were you."

Turning her head in surprise, she found a man in a red cloak walking towards her with a serious, but slightly concerned look on his face. Despite the scene in front of him, he walked through the mess with a calm and relaxed manner.

Summer began to open her mouth again so she could ask who he was or why exactly he was here, but she felt her vision swim as the last of her strength left her body. As she fell forward, she found herself in the arms of the man as he moved forward and caught her before she could hit the ground.

"Hey, try to at least stay awake." The man said as he gently picked her up. "Hey, are you listening?"

The man blinked as he looked down at the woman in his arms. She had apparently passed out the moment he had caught her. Grunting, he hefted her over his shoulder and began running into the forest towards the one place he knew that could help her. The injuries she had received were way too severe for any normal hospital to take care of, even with the advanced technology humanity seemed to have created.

Luckily, he knew just the place to get her back to normal.

* * *

When her eyes fluttered open, she found herself greeted with the sight of a bright white ceiling, eerily familiar to that of a hospital. Normally she would have been very relieved at this fact, but her first instinct was to panic.

Was she dead? Had she died and gone all the way to Heaven?

But then as she moved her arms, she found them brushing against a smooth fabric that had been draped across her. Sitting upwards, she winced as a slight jolt of pain passed through her body. Looking down, she blinked in surprise as she found that her previously wounded body was now... in pristine condition?

Her breath hitched as she touched her skin, testing to see if it was real. Sure enough, it was still real flesh. It was no illusion.

"No way..."

No medical technology should have been able of healing her to this degree. At worst, her entire body would have been covered in mangled scars and put on extreme life support.

She stopped her examination and closed her eyes to concentrate. Right now, she had to figure out were in Remnant she was. Who exactly had taken her? And how will she get out?

She suddenly jumped as a whirring sound reached her ears along with the sound of boots on the ground. Looking towards the source of the commotion, she gasped as she saw the man in red walk through a slide door. He was easily taller than 6 feet, and his stature was straight and intimidating. He reminded her of serious commanders in Atlas' military, but amplified by a hundred.

He was also incredibly young looking, not having seemingly broken past his late twenties or early thirties. Despite this, the hair on his head was ashen white. Not to say that it was unusual, but it was incredibly uncommon. The last person she had known to have white hair was a familiar headmaster at Beacon academy.

She fidgeted slightly as he paused in realization to her awakening, but he simply smiled at her like he was greeting an old friend.

"You've finally woken up. Good. I was starting to wonder if I messed up on the procedure. I have been out of it for quite a long time." The man said as he pulled up a white chair and spun it around, sitting on it backwards. "You were lucky I was in the area at the time. I would have thought that a seasoned huntress like yourself would have known better than to travel around during the night, especially at those late hours."

"Who... are you?" She frowned as she eyed him warily, causing him to smile.

"Your savior. A little gratitude would be appreciated." The man chuckled as he leaned forward in his chair. "As for you... I don't believe I've gotten your name."

The woman paused for a moment before answering truthfully. "Summer... Summer Rose." She scratched her head. "Sorry about the hostility... I'm just a little bit confused right now."

"I don't mind. I've always been on the receiving end of conflict. It's nothing." The man said with a shrug.

 _"Wow... That's awkward."_ Summer thought before shaking her head. "So... What's your name? I should at least know the name of my savior, you know? I don't want to come up with nicknames for you."

The man's smile dropped slightly and he sighed. "I lost my name a long time ago. Or, well, I just don't use it much any more. The history surrounding that name aren't things I want to remember."

"Well that doesn't seem like a very good reason." Summer frowned. "Names give people a sense of uniqueness that separates them from other. Whatever your history is with your name is irrelevant to me. I don't believe you are a bad person since you saved my life, so there is no harm with you sharing your name." Summer prodded on with an encouraging parental tone.

"Well..." The man drawled off with a conflicted look. Seeing this, Summer decided to play her ultimate trump card. Putting on the biggest pouty face ever, she activated the dreaded puppy-eye technique. The technique was so powerful that men who stared upon it couldn't help but bow down to the user's needs.

"Pretty please?" She begged like a child, causing the man to scratch his head with a sigh.

"Fine. Have it your way." The man grumbled as he leaned backwards. "My name is Shirou Emiya." He paused for a moment upon seeing her confused look. "And before you ask, my name isn't typically associated with color like everyone else. Maybe white, but that's putting it loosely."

"No color? Odd, but not that uncommon." Summer said with a frown.

"Well, it wasn't exactly the name I was born with." Shirou said with a sad smile.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I had a major loss of memory when I was younger due to a life-threatening event." Shirou sighed, remembering the day clearly no matter how long ago it has been since then. "I was the only survivor out of thousands and was only saved by my adoptive father as he searched for survivors. We were both saved that day."

Summer gave him a questioning look, but didn't try to coax an explanation. This seemed way too personal.

"Unfortunately, I had forgotten everything about my past life due to the event. My adoptive father would eventually name me 'Shirou Emiya' to fill in that void and give me an identity." He sighed a little, before smirking once again as he stood up. "Anyway, my past isn't important. What's important now is getting you out of here. You've been asleep for quite a while."

Summer's eyes widen in realization. "Oh, right! I have to get back to Patch! Oh Dust, my family must be worried about me! I promised my daughters I'd make them cookies when I get home! My darlings must be so worried!"

"Calm down." Shirou said sternly as he moved to her side and gently helped her up. "There are other things I have to inform you before you go. Very important things I might add."

"Like what?" Summer asked, tapping her foot impatiently.

Shirou's face remained serious. "The injuries that you have received were extremely grievous. Even with my medical equipment, I was only barely able to sustain you. Most of your injuries I was able to heal, but some of them were too dangerous for me to attempt to heal. As such, I had to leave the recovery of your body to time."

"Time..." Summer paused. "How long have I been out?"

"You went into a coma." Shirou said as he walked over to a computer screen and turned it on, revealing numbers and charts. "Your body collapsed in on itself as the last of your aura left you. As such, your body was too tired and empty to get itself running again. You've been asleep far longer than what you are thinking."

"Just exactly how long?" Summer asked with a sense of dread growing in her stomach.

"More than a decade." Shirou said, earning a gasp from Summer as she processed the information. Feeling a sudden headache coming on, Summer's hands drifted towards her head.

"I-I have to get home. Now. I need to see my family." She repeated as she tried to get out of the bed.

"And you shall, but you won't get very far in your condition." Shirou said sternly as he walked over to her and helped her stand up. "I'll come with you. It's safer that way."

"Are you sure? You've already done so much for me already. Asking you to escort me would just be a waste of your time." Summer said before her voice went quieter. "Plus... It might be awkward if my husband sees you with me."

"Are you serious right now?" Shirou deadpanned. "I'm sure your husband will be too overjoyed to even care about me. Also, let's get real here, you don't even have your weapon and your body is still healing. A lowly beowulf would be enough to send you six feet under without my help. So you can either choose to accept my help or die trying get back home." He said harshly, causing Summer to flinch.

"Fine." She muttered, relenting under his stare.

"Good." Shirou said, all trace of harshness gone and replaced by a small smirk. "Go and get changed. Your clothes are in the drawer next to you. I had them newly sewn back to perfect condition."

Opening the small drawer next to her, Summer blinked in surprise as she indeed found her usual huntress attire sitting neatly folded and sewn inside the appliance. She was amazed at the pristine condition they were in despite the harsh beating they had been put through.

"You know how to knit?" She questioned, looking over the clothing.

"I know how to do many things." Shirou shrugged. Catching her amazed look, he shifted uncomfortably. "Knitting is still manly, Summer."

"Sure..."

* * *

"So we'll have to take the 4:00 Bullhead to get to our destination." Summer said as she stared at the traveling time on the airport board. "They must have upgraded in the last decade. Normally it would take a little bit longer to get to Patch from here."

"Not many things changed, so you should be fine." Shirou shrugged as he stood next to her in his usual attire. Not many people paid the two of them much attention, having assumed that the two of them were huntsmen by the clothing alone.

"There's at least one good piece of news." Summer grumbled as she sat in one of the nearby chairs, waiting for the Bullhead to appear. Wanting to may some small talk, she decided to ask a question that's been on her mind since they left Chaldea.

"Hey Shirou, are you really the only one in that installation? It seems way too big for one person." Summer asked, fixing him with a questioning look.

"Chaldea?" At the mention of the lab, Shirou's face grew nostalgic. "I am now. A long time ago, it was a lot more lively. All of the members were quirky in their own ways, but we were a dysfunctional family. We would die for one another."

"So where are they now?"

"None of your business." Shirou replied, but his tone lacked any form of annoyance or anger. "But I can tell you that they're still around. If you looked hard enough, you may find them, but they tend to blend in with society."

"So why are you the only one in Chaldea? Did they leave you there or something?" Summer asked, curious as to Shirou's reasons for staying.

"Well, that place is my home, isn't it?" Shirou said with a small smile. "Someone has to take care of the place while everyone is gone. Some of them drop by from time to time, but they tend to leave just as quickly as they come."

"Oh... That's nice. Your family sounds pretty cool." Summer said with a smile before she drooped. "I wonder about my family, though. Do you think they'll be happy to see me?"

"I'm sure they will. Stop worrying about the small details." Shirou said as he gave her a reassuring pat on the back, bringing the smile back to the huntress' face.

"Thanks, Shirou." Summer said, earning a nod from the man in response.

"Don't mention it. Hurry up and get ready, the bullhead is here." Shirou said as he began walking towards the boarding station, forcing Summer to stand up and run after him.

"W-wait for me! You have my pass!" Summer stuttered as she followed after him, missing the small smile he had as he kept ahead of her.

* * *

"Patch certainly is a nice place." Shirou said as they walked through the quiet island. "I've certainly never been to a place like this."

"Patch is a place people go to start a family in peace and quiet. There are no grimm here, and the defenses surrounding the island prevent any attack from the outside unless it's a full out invasion." Summer shrugged. "It also helps that most of the residents here are fully graduated huntsmen." She looked around the town with a very nostalgic look. "Come on, I'll show you the way. Hopefully they haven't moved out."

The pair walked through the streets, taking in the sights. Despite having been gone for several years, the place hadn't changed one bit. The same shops were still there, looking only slightly older and grayer from age.

She felt some comfort in that fact, but she was still nervous. What if her family moved out? What if her husband moved on? Despite Shirou's constant encouragement, she still felt nervous.

 _"Calm down, Summer. You're a huntress, you've faced down worse things before."_

"So where are we going?" Shirou asked as he followed behind her.

"To find my husband." Summer said evenly. "There would only be two places he'd be at: Signal Academy, or my house. Of course, he could be at the Bar but he barely touches alcohol."

"He might be touching it now." Shirou said, earning a small glare from the woman. "Sorry. So where are we going first?"

"My house." Summer said as they began following down a grassy road. "It's a nice little cottage tucked in the forest, perfect for all of us."

"Sounds nice." Shirou said, actively scanning the environment curiously. In the world of Remnant, he hadn't seen a place quite as peaceful as this. Most of the small villages were transportable due to people having to constantly move around due to the grimm constantly prowling. Here, everyone lived peacefully and nature was largely undisturbed.

He scratched his head. Certainly, places like these were very rare in Remnant. It wasn't a bad place to raise a family in peace and quiet.

Perhaps he should have transported Chaldea here...

He inwardly sighed at that thought. Chaldea had been an installation created long ago to ensure the future, protection, and survival of humanity. Before Remnant, before the Grimm before the destruction of the world, there was only Chaldea.

He remembered clearly the final battle with the big-bad that had ended up with the world being destroyed and recreated as singularities imploded on one another to create the future of humanity.

Those singularities would eventually become Remnant, evolving into a world more futuristic than the 21st century. Before they knew it, Chaldea soon lost its purpose. Singularities weren't popping up, and the world was advancing faster and faster with the threat of the grimm. Soon, the members either decided to go into cryogenic sleep or into the world to oversee what road humanity would soon take.

He kept in contact with the active servants, but they barely talked anymore as they never saw the need to unless things turned really bad and it that concerned all of them.

He wondered what they all were doing right now. If he remembered correctly, the hassans were in Vacuo, Robin and Billy were in mistral, and everyone else were who knows where.

The pair soon found themselves in front of a wooden cottage in the middle of a small circular clearing surrounded by trees. Walking up to the door, Summer tried the knob to find that it was locked.

"We should come back later." Shirou suggested, only to watch as Summer raised her foot and kicked the door open with a loud crack.

She offered him a smile as she walked inside. "It's my house. I can do whatever I want with it. Now hurry up and get inside."

Shirou would have retorted, but he knew from past experiences that voicing your own opinion doesn't work on women. Entering the house, he found himself greeted with pictures of Summer and her family hanging around the walls. Looking closely at one of the photos, he saw a younger Summer standing next to a rough looking man with blonde hair and blue eyes. Standing in between them was a young blonde girl along with a smaller version of Summer.

"Those are my girls." Summer said as she stood next to him with a sad look. "The girl with blonde hair is Yang. Technically, she's my step-daughter but I always treated her with the same love as my biological daughter."

"I kinda guessed that. She doesn't seem to have any of your qualities." Shirou said as he stared at the photo. "They're very beautiful. You're a very lucky woman."

Summer just smiled, not responding to the compliment as she moved on to the next section of the house. So many new photos have been hung up, showing her years of memories that she had missed in her coma. Other than that though, nothing much has changed. She was glad for that.

She had expected Tai to turn into an alcoholic, but it seems that he managed to push through without that considering there wasn't any bottles strewn around the floor.

"Nobodies home." Shirou said, already sensing that nobody was there. "Where to next?"

"Signal academy." Summer said immediately. "Tai works there as a teacher. If he's not here at this time, he's grading papers at the academy. We should go so we can catch him on the way out."

"Sounds good. Just let me fix the do-"

Shirou suddenly paused mid-sentence as a sound reached his ears. Making eye contact with Summer, the two of them tensed up in preparation for a potentially violent scenario.

One of the nearby doors in the hallway creaked as it was slowly pushed forward. Moving silently across the floor, Shirou put himself in front of Summer and prepared to summon his favorite pair of swords to defend himself.

*Pant* *Pant*

Shirou and Summer blinked as a small shape moved across the floor. It was a small creature with four legs and a two fuzzy looking ears.

"A... dog?" Shirou grunted, staring at the animal in bewilderment.

"I guess they bought one. This is new." Summer muttered, equally confused.

The dog perked up as it saw them and barked in excitement instead of alarm, spinning around in circles as it riled itself up before falling on its back and panting at them.

"It certainly is excited."

"What a weird animal." Shirou muttered as he watched the dog roll over and get up before barking at them as it ran outside of the house.

"I think it wants us to follow." Summer said as she watched it turn around and continue to bark at them.

"No harm in doing so. But before we do that, I have to fix something first."

"Fix what?" Summer asked with a questioning look. Watching him move past her, she watched as she grabbed the loose door and ripped it off its hinge. Staring at the door for a moment, he nodded before giving her an 'are you serious?' look.

"Your door. Duh."


End file.
